Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1887-08-13
CHAPTER VII.
A SLAUGHTER GRIM AND GREAT.

trying time OF uU-LhaJ SLOW, SLOW quarter OF
an hour The minutes seemed to drag along
with leaden feet, and the quiet, the solemn
hush, that brooded over all-big, as it were,
with coming fate-was most oppressive to
the spirits
The moon went down; for a long while she
had been getting nearer and nearer TO the
horizon, now she finally sank, and left the
world in darkness save for faint gray tinge
i'll the eastern sky that palely heralded the
coming dawn.
Nj. Mackenzie stood, watch in hand, his
wife clinging to his arm and striving to stife
her sobs.
Twenty minutes to four, y hs said; sit ought
to be light enough to attack at twenty min
utes past four. Capt Good had better be
moving; he will want three or four minutes
start"
Good gave one final polish to his eyeglass,
nodded to us in jocular sort of way-which
could not help feeling it must have cost him
something to muster up-and, ever polite,
took off his steel lined cap to Mrs. Mackepze
and started for his position at the head of the
kraal, to reach which he had to make de-
tour by some paths known to the natives.
Just then one of the boys came in and re-
ported that everybody in the Nasal camp,
with the exception of the two sentries who
were walking up and down in front of the re-
spective entrances, appeared to be fast asleep.
Then the rest of US took the road. First
came the guide then Sir Henry, Umslopo-
gaas, the Wakwafi Askari and Mr.. Mackerl-
zies two mission natives, armed with long
spears and shields / followed Immediately
after with Alphonse and five natives, all
armed with guns, and Mr.. Mackenzie brought
up the rear with lie six remaining natives.
The cattle kraal where the Nasal were
campeG lay at the foot of the hill on which
the house stood, or, roughly speaking, about
500 yards from the mission buildings Tho
first 800 yards of this distance we traversed
quietly indeed, but at good pace; after that
we crept forward as silently as a leopard on
his prey, gliding like ghosts from bush TO bush
and stone to stone. When | had gone little
way CHANGED to look behind me- and saw
the redoubtable Alphonse staggering along
with white face and trembling knees, and his
rifle, which was ut full cock, pointed directly
at the small OF my back. Having halted, and
carefully put the rifle at Safety" we started
agai ..na all went well till we were within
100 yards or so of the kraal, when his teeth
began to chatter in the most aggressive way.
IF you don't stop that, will kill you,"
whispered, savagely; for the idea of having
all our lives sacrificed to tooth chattering
cook was too much for me. l began to fear
that he would betray us, and heartily wished
we had left him behind.
"But, monsieur, cannot help it," he an
swered; lit is the cold"
Here was a dilemma; but fortunately de-
vised plan. In the pocket of the coat had
on was small piece of dirty rag that had
used some time before to clean gun with
"Put this in your mouth" whispered again,
giving him the rag; "and if hear another
sound you are a dead man." l knew that that
would stife the clatter of his teeth. l must
have looked as if meant what / said, for he
instantly obeyed me and continued his jour
ney in silence.
Then we crept on again.
At last we were within fifty yards of the
! llraal. Between us and it was an open space
of sloping grass. with only one mimosa
bush and couple of tussocks of sort Of
thistle for cover. We were still hidden in
| fairly thick bush. 1t was beginning to grow
| light. The stars had paled and siclily CLEAN
played about the east and was reflected on
the earth We could see the outline of the
lraal clearly enough, and could also make
out the faint glimmer of the dying embers of
| the Nasal camp fires. We halted and watched
for the sentry we knew was posted at the
! opening Presently he appeared, a fine tall
| fellow, walking idly up and down within five
! PAGES of the thorn stopped entrance We had
| hoped to catch him mapping, but it was not to
! be. He seemed particularly wide awake II
| we could not kill that man, and kill him ST.
| lently, we were lost. There we crouched and
watched him. Presently Umslopogaas, who
was few PAGES ahead of me, turned and
made a sign, and next second | saw him go
! down on his stomach like a snake and, taking
| an opportunity when the sentry's head was
turned, begin to work his way through the
| grass without a sound.
Tho unconscious sentry commenced ia hum
little tune and Umsopogaas crept on He
! reached the shelter of the mimosa bush I'M
| perceived, and there waited Still the sentry
walked APP and down. Presently he turned
and looked over the wall into the camp In
stantly the human snake who was stalking
| him glJed on ten yards and got behind one
of the tussocSs of the thistle like plant, reach
ing it as the Elmoran turned again. As he
turned his eye fell upon this patch of thistles,
and il seemed to strike him that it did not
look quite right. He advanced a pace to-
wards it-halted yawned, stopped down,
| picked up little pebble and threw it at it. Ii
| hit Umslopogaas upon the head, luckily not
| upon the armor shirt. Had it done so the
! clinR would have betrayed us. Luckily too
the shirt was Drowned and not bright steel.
which would certainly have been detected
| Apparently satisfied that there was nothing
wrong, he then gave over his Investigations
and contented himself with leaning on his
| spear and standing gazing idly at the tuft
| For at least three minutes did he stand thus.
| plunged apparently in gentle reverie, and
there we lay in the last extremity of anxiety,
expecting every moment that we should be
discovered or that some untoward accident
would happen. / could hear Alphonse's teeth
| going like anything on the oiled rag, and
turning my head round made an awful face
at him. But | am bound to state that my
own heart was at much the same game as the
Frenchman's castanets, while the perspiration
was pouring from my body, causing the
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